To our wonderful listeners,

Thank you so much for listening and learning with us all these years. After nine years of chronicling our family’s journey, we’ve decided to take a hiatus. You can still find a few of our favorite episodes here, and please like our page on Facebook  to be notified of any future episodes.

Looking back over the past nine years, we feel incredibly humbled that so many listeners have decided to join us in loving and serving foster kids. When we were new foster parents, we had grand visions of how we could impact the lives of children in foster care. Very quickly we realized that our ability to care for children was going to be limited by our own time, space and energy. So you can imagine how encouraged we’ve been to know that the podcast has played a part in others stepping up to care for children in foster care.

Our website and Facebook page will remain up as we still plan on being a resource for foster parents. Keep up the hard work, because as you’ve heard… “Foster parenting is the most frustrating, heart-wrenching, all consuming thing we’ve ever done, but when it comes down to it, it’s just about helping kids. And that’s been the most rewarding thing in our lives.”

Foster and Adoptive parents know what it means to have “sticky kids”.

T interviews Zach about their adoption and its many unusual circumstances. Their story will leave you inspired and stretch your imagination about what is possible in creating a family. Before listening to this episode make sure to watch this great video of “Meredith’s Big Surprise”

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Have you heard of special laws governing the adoption of children who are of Native American descent? In the US, children who are Native American fall under a specific law called the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), which can govern their adoptive and foster placements.

T interviews Johnston Moore about ICWA. They discuss the origins and intentions of the federal law and its ongoing application. Originally created to ensure the rights of Native Americans, Moore says that the law is sometimes used to make decisions that may not be in the best interests of children.

Johnston Moore belongs to a network of activists working to amend the law. If you wish to contact him, he can be reached at http://www.home-4-ever.org

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We made this short video to explain what it’s like to be a foster parent

We recently were able to participate in the annual Together for Adoption Conference. This episode is based on the breakout session we led there.

We’ve heard a lot of stories about foster care. Sometimes the stories are in the news, sometimes we hear them from people we know, and sometimes strangers volunteer their perspectives. Rather than sweeping the dirt under the rug, we think we should talk about it.

So this episode is our attempt to confront negative stories about foster care experiences. We talk about abusive foster parents, delays in the adoption process, biased social workers and judges, and the pain of getting attached and having to say goodbye.

Come see us in person and enjoy other great speakers at the KidBridge Seminar in Rolling Hills Estates, CA on Saturday, October 29!

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T interviews Jacob, a counselor at Royal Family Kids Camp, a summer program run by churches for foster kids throughout the country and internationally.

Jacob mentioned his film project CAMP. You can contribute to his Kickstarter Campaign here. Help him reach his goal!

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We recorded our 100th episode in front of an audience at Olive Crest Foster and Adoption Agency. It was such a pleasure to meet and connect with our listeners.

In this episode we tackle some of the toughest doubts and questions thrown at the foster care system. We respond to questions about inept social workers, the rights of birth parents and the limbo that kids are left in as they wait for the courts to decide their futures. We also share some thoughts on risk and what type of person it will take to reform the system.

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“To Risk”

by William Arthur Ward

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return,
To live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing.

He may avoid suffering and sorrow,
But he cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live.

Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

The pessimist complains about the wind;

The optimist expects it to change;

And the realist adjusts the sails.

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Everyone seems to love the “Starfish Story” by Loren Eiseley. We’ve got a new take on this old classic and promise you’ll never see starfish the same way again.  This is an episode you won’t want to miss; it matters to this one!

Photo courtesy of OrangeCounty_Girl